Corrugated containers are commonly used for shipping dry bulk commodities, for example, peanuts, resins, rubber, etc. Such containers may be sized to hold anywhere from several hundred to well over two thousand pounds of the particular commodity. Thus, substantial strength of the containers is a requirement due both to their capacity and the fact that the containers may be stacked for transport and/or storage.
At present, the strength of the containers themselves is a major concern. A weak link has been and continues to be the covers for the containers particularly when the containers are stacked on top of and next to one another. Prior art covers are prone to bulging out at the sides and corners, with the bulged out portions often becoming ripped or otherwise damaged from contact with other containers, stationary objects during transport, fork lifts, or simply due to the weight of the container stacked thereon. With many products, and especially foodstuffs, such damage is unacceptable as it may provide ingress for dirt, insects, and other foreign material.
Present securing methods normally involve vertical strapping which is wrapped around the container from top to bottom so as to secure the cover to the container using downward force. While the portions of the cover underneath the strapping may remain in place, such a method actually exacerbates the problem by causing bulging in the side walls of both the container and the cover.